Viral Qarhan Salt Lake · 8-Day Qinghai–Gansu Grand Loop Tour (2+1 VIP Coach)

8-Day, 7-Night Qinghai–Gansu Grand Loop Tour

Tour Highlights

• Epic Silk Road & Qaidam Basin Journey Travel the classic Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop, crossing the Hexi Corridor and the vast Qaidam Basin. Admire Zhangye’s rainbow Danxia, the ancient Jiayuguan Pass, the legendary Mogao Caves and Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Lake in Dunhuang.
• Stunning Salt Lake Wonderland Visit a series of breathtaking salt lakes: Da Qaidam Emerald Lake, Qarhan Salt Lake and Chaka Salt Lake, known as the “Mirror of the Sky”. Walk across the white salt flats and capture surreal mirror reflections of clouds, mountains and sky.
• Vibrant Cultural & Interactive Experiences Enjoy bonfire parties, Tibetan costume experiences, traditional archery and pitch-pot games. Explore grassland culture on Jinyintan Grassland, wander desert night markets and watch optional local performances to taste the charm of Northwest China.
• Well-Organized Premium Group Tour Carefully selected hotels, included featured local meals, private arrival/departure transfers and dedicated customer service. Enjoy smooth travel across desert, alpine grassland, salt lakes and ancient Silk Road relics.

Pre-Trip Information

• Itinerary Confirmation: After booking, our customer service team will reconfirm your flight/train details and travel dates, and send you an official departure notice. You will need to make your own way to the airport or station to depart for Lanzhou.
• Pre-Departure Contact: A member of our staff will contact you one day before your departure date. Please keep your phone available and reachable.
• Airport & Station Pickup: 24-hour pickup service is available at Lanzhou airport and railway stations. A greeter will be waiting for you on arrival and escort you directly to your hotel.
• Customer Support: You may contact your dedicated service representative at any time before, during, or after the trip with any questions or requests.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1 | Arrival in Lanzhou

• Hotels: Dongying Garden Boutique Hotel (Lanzhou University / Railway Station / Metro) · Nongken Hotel (Lanzhou Railway Station / Youdian Building Metro) · Gloria Hotel Lanzhou
• Meals: Breakfast on your own · Lunch on your own · Dinner on your own
• 8:00 AM: Arrive in Lanzhou. Private pickup at the airport or railway station, then transfer via private vehicle to your hotel for check-in.
• 10:00 AM onwards: Free time at leisure. Rest and settle in after check-in.

Day 2 | Lanzhou → Zhangye Colorful Danxia → Danxiakou Cultural Tourism Town → Zhangye

• Hotels: Shenghua Cultural International Hotel (Colorful Danxia) · Danxiakou Stone City Hotel · Zhangye Ducheng Holiday Hotel (High-Speed Railway West Station / Zhangye Middle School)
• Meals: Breakfast included · Lunch: Zhangye steamed-pancake wraps with BBQ meat · Dinner on your own
• 9:00 AM: Visit Zhangye Colorful Danxia Scenic Area. Marvel at rare, vibrantly hued Danxia landforms with spectacular rock formations. Multiple viewing platforms are available for sightseeing and photography.
• 2:00 PM: Explore Danxiakou Cultural Tourism Town. This Silk Road resort town served as a filming location for the CCTV drama Leaving No One Behind, and inspired the show’s “Stone City”. It blends Jiangnan-style elegance with rich local cultural activities.
• 4:00 PM: Watch the “Memory of Zhangye” Show. The performance opens with the legend of Nüwa mending the sky, whose leftover colored stones formed the Danxia landforms. It tells the legendary story of Emperor Yang of Sui and Zhangye across four acts.Note: Optional, at your own expense.
• 7:00 PM: Join a bonfire party. Enjoy singing, dancing and folk performances. Interact with performers and join the lively dances to experience local hospitality.
• Overnight in Zhangye.

Day 3 | Zhangye → Jiayuguan → "Child of the Earth" → "Boundless" Sculpture → Dunhuang

• Hotels: Dunhuang Qiyuan Hotel · Tianhong Hotel (Dunhuang TCM Hospital) · Dunhuang Bokang Hotel
• Meals: Breakfast included · Lunch included · Dinner on your own
• 10:00 AM: View Jiayuguan Pass from the exterior. First built in 1372 during the Ming Dynasty, construction spanned 168 years. It is the most formidable and best-preserved pass among the thousands of fortifications along the Ming Great Wall.
• 1:00 PM: Visit the “Child of the Earth” Sculpture. This giant artwork rests on the Gobi Desert in Guazhou County. Shaped like a peacefully sleeping baby lying prone on the sand, it looks as if cradled in the embrace of mother earth.
• 2:00 PM: Distant view of the “Boundless” Sculpture. South of the Child of the Earth, this mirage-like installation rises from the Gobi. Seen through a telephoto lens, it features one main hall and four tower pavilions.
• 3:00 PM: Stop at Dunhuang Desert Starry-Sky Camp. Enjoy desert buggy rides, sand sliding, desert hot-pot buffet, desert KTV, bonfire party and cold fireworks.Note: Activities at your own expense.
• Overnight in Dunhuang.

Day 4 | Dunhuang → Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Lake → Mogao Caves → Shazhou Night Market

• Hotels: Dunhuang Qiyuan Hotel · Tianhong Hotel (Dunhuang TCM Hospital) · Dunhuang Bokang Hotel
• Meals: Breakfast included · Lunch: signature Northwest big-plate chicken (da pan ji) · Dinner on your own
• 9:00 AM: Explore Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Lake. A precious desert oasis where Crescent Lake has survived for over a thousand years amid shifting sand dunes. Willows, poplars and green reeds grow beside the spring.
• 1:30 PM: Visit the Mogao Caves (Class B ticket). Also known as the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas, it ranks among China’s three greatest grotto art treasures. Famous for exquisite murals and sculptures, it is hailed as the “Oriental Louvre” at the western end of the Hexi Corridor.
• 5:30 PM: Join the Mingsha “Ten-Thousand-Person” Starry-Sky Sing-Along. Sit on the sand beside Crescent Lake under a sky full of stars, singing together with travellers from all over the world for this unique desert music event.Note: Self-guided activity.
• 7:00 PM: Wander Shazhou Night Market. Browse handcrafted ornaments, sand paintings and local specialties. Many goods are competitively priced and well worth exploring.Note: Self-guided activity.
• Overnight in Dunhuang.

Day 5 | Jiuquan → Da Qaidam Emerald Lake → Qarhan Salt Lake

• Hotels: Golmud Wankeju Hotel · Golmud Kaisidun Business Hotel · Golmud Shengboli Business Hotel
• Meals: Breakfast included · Lunch on your own · Dinner on your own
• 9:00 AM: Cross Dangjin Mountain Pass. The Altun Mountains lie to the west and Qilian Mountains to the east. Once a remote, rarely visited wilderness, the highway stretches toward cloud-shrouded Dangjin Mountain, leading toward a mysterious land.
• 10:00 AM: View the Qaidam Basin from the coach. Rich in salt and mineral reserves, it is known as China’s “treasure bowl”. Strong winds sweep across this desert basin in spring and autumn, buffered by the Kunlun Mountains to the west.
• 1:00 PM: Visit Da Qaidam Emerald Lake.Note: Shuttle bus not included. Multiple salt ponds in varying shades of green, blue, yellow and brown are scattered like translucent jade pieces. The mirror-smooth surface reflects blue sky, white clouds and distant mountains.
• 3:30 PM: Explore Qarhan Salt Lake.Note: Shuttle bus not included. Located in Golmud, Qinghai, Qarhan is China’s largest inland salt lake and one of the world’s most famous salt lakes, abundant in sodium, potassium and magnesium chloride. The Qinghai–Tibet Railway runs directly across the lake.
• Overnight in Golmud.

Day 6 | Golmud → Chaka Salt Lake → Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture

• Hotels: Gonghe Amdo Summer Resort Hotel · Mansheng Hotel · Qinghai Lake Wanghuge Guesthouse
• Meals: Breakfast included · Lunch included · Dinner on your own
• 9:00 AM: Visit Chaka Salt Lake. A saltworks with over 3,000 years of history. High salt content forms a brilliant white salt flat, mirroring sky, clouds and mountains. Walk barefoot on the lake and capture your reflection in this famous “Mirror of the Sky”.
• 10:30 AM: Drone aerial photography. Capture stunning overhead shots of Chaka Salt Lake. The scenery changes dramatically with weather conditions, so perfect photos depend partly on luck.
• 5:00 PM: Tibetan costume experience. Dress in traditional Tibetan garments and immerse yourself in local culture, appreciating the art and civilization reflected in the colourful ethnic costumes.Note: Available from April onward.
• 7:00 PM: Bonfire party. Gather around the fire on the grassland, warmed by golden flames in the quiet night.Note: Available from April onward.
• Overnight in Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

Day 7 | Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture → Erlangjian Scenic Area → Wenjia Pasture

• Hotels: Dongying Garden Boutique Hotel (Lanzhou University / Railway Station / Metro) · Nongken Hotel (Lanzhou Railway Station / Youdian Building Metro) · Huamao Hotel (Lanzhou New Area University Town)
• Meals: Breakfast included · Lunch: Qinghai Tibetan-style meal · Dinner on your own
• 9:00 AM: Visit Erlangjian Scenic Area on Qinghai Lake. It includes sightseeing zones such as a bird-watching platform, deer park, sea-view bridge and pavilion, plus a leisure pier plaza and the “Four Auspicious Symbols” sculpture. Water activities including jet skis and self-drive boats are available at extra cost.
• 1:00 PM: Explore Wenjia Pasture, located on Jinyintan Grassland — the birthplace of Wang Luobin’s classic song In That Faraway Place. Under blue skies and white clouds, experience Tibetan architecture, customs and beliefs as an honored grassland guest.Note: If Wenjia Pasture is closed seasonally, it will be replaced with Hekou Ancient Town.
• 3:00 PM: Tibetan costume experience.Note: Complimentary; no refund if not participated.
• 3:30 PM: Tibetan blessing rituals. Learn about Tibetan spiritual traditions: circumambulating sacred mountains, hanging wind-horse prayer flags, mani stone piles and spinning prayer wheels.Note: Complimentary; no refund if not participated.
• 4:00 PM: Pitch-pot & archery. Try these traditional Chinese games, especially fun for children. Experience ancient sports and traditional culture.
• 5:00 PM: Visit Hekou Ancient Town. Well-preserved architecture from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Restored landmarks include Bell and Drum Tower, reclining bridge, city gates, memorial archways and historic lanes.Note: Alternative site when Wenjia Pasture is unavailable.
• Overnight in Lanzhou.

Day 8 | Departure from Lanzhou

• Meals: Breakfast included · Lunch on your own · Dinner on your own
• 9:00 AM: Free time. Sleep in and enjoy hotel breakfast at your own pace.
• 10:00 AM: Departure transfer. A dedicated private transfer to the airport or railway station will be arranged according to your flight or train schedule, bringing your Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop journey to a wonderful close.